Search Results for: H-1B

The big news of the week—Microsoft’s $8.5 billion purchase of Skype—has analysts wondering if Microsoft will “screw it up” or find smart ways to integrate Skype’s vaunted VoIP phone service into its suite of products, everything from Xbox to Hotmail to Outlook. The breathtaking valuation was considered to be a preemptive strike against potential bidding competitors such as Google and Facebook. Whatever the reason, the healthy markup indicates continuing post-recession excitement in the tech industry. The other big news of… continue…

Although the economy has improved over the past few quarters, economists and pundits have called out one aspect of it still in need of improvement: wages, which have largely stagnated despite the healthier labor market. But in industries that employ a large percentage of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) workers, wages have continued to rise, according to data released this month by the Brookings Institute. In 2014, the average salary of a worker in what Brookings calls “advanced industries”… continue…

If you’re a tech pro—or aspire to become one—President Obama wants to find you a job. The White House has announced the “TechHire initiative,” which will supposedly fill jobs in everything from software development and network administration to cybersecurity. In order to fill those jobs, the initiative will offer a combination of investment and job placement, with a focus on underserved communities. Here’s the proposal: $100 Million in ‘Federal Investments’ That money will go to training and recruiting workers for… continue…

President Obama’s plan to overhaul the nation’s immigration policies could not only save up to five million people from deportation, it will also affect the U.S. tech industry. Obama will rely on an executive action for immigration reform, rather than working with Congress. In a Nov. 20 speech, he asserted that his actions are lawful. “To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress… continue…

While pundits and analysts debate about diversity in Silicon Valley, one thing is very clear: Black Americans make up a very small percentage of tech workers. At Facebook, Google, and Yahoo, that number is a bit less than 2 percent of their respective U.S. workforces; at Apple, it’s closer to 7 percent. According to the National Black Information Technology Leadership Organization (NBITLO) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, blacks hold less than 8 percent of all information technology jobs… continue…

Would you be willing to drop everything and move to another country for a job? The Boston Consulting Group and The Network surveyed 200,000 people in 189 countries to figure out the global willingness to work abroad. The conclusion? People will indeed set down professional roots in another country—although younger workers seem far more willing to expatriate than their older peers. Click here to browse tech jobs by location. An internationally mobile labor market increases the pressure on cities such… continue…

The number of new undergraduate computing majors continued to grow last year, rising 13.4 percent, according to a report from the Computing Research Association. Although that’s smaller growth than has been seen in years, it does represent the sixth straight period of growth. Enrollments bottomed out in 2007, just before the recession. New computer science enrollments grew by nearly 30 percent in 2011-12 and 23 percent the year before. Last year, 63,873 students enrolled in computer science programs, compared with… continue…

While IBM employees brace themselves for yet another round of layoffs, Vermont Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan is calling for better notice and more authority over such “workplace actions.” Big Blue has been downsizing its workforce in North America for years, though it usually doesn’t announce specific numbers and couches it in terms of its expected cost savings. IBM’s union, Alliance@IBM, is expecting roughly 15,000 workers to be cut at Big Blue’s manufacturing plants in Vermont and New York around Feb.… continue…

With Detroit mired in bankruptcy, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is floating a turnaround plan based on an influx of skilled immigrants to fill a talent gap in the city’s workforce. He’s proposed asking the federal government to grant 50,000 visas over five years to international workers with advanced degrees as long as they move to Detroit. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is on-board. “In order for Detroit to grow again, we need highly trained workers to move in, open businesses and… continue…

In what might be — at least in part — a bid to make nice with critics of its H-1B hiring, IT outsourcing company Cognizant Technology Solutions has announced plans to hire 10,000 workers in the U.S. over the next three years. The company is setting up its U.S. headquarters in College Station, Texas – home to Texas A&M University – and will donate $150,000 to the university’s effort to lure high school students into STEM careers. Its global headquarters… continue…